Hey BAMBI, Gimme S'more!

Hi there! BAMBI here (That's "Bacon Acquiring Mama Bringing It" - hey I needed a cool acronym and quick) The DUDE is allowing me to write a post about a recent day in our home, since it was my idea and I thought it would be fun to be the one to write.

The other day I decided it was time to introduce our 6 year old to a summer and camp classic treat - S'mores! Okay, let's be honest, I was in the mood for the gooey goodness too. So, with honey graham crackers and marshmallows in the cabinet, we set off to the grocery store to purchase some chocolate.

Now, I had recently read an article on NPR's The Salt about how Millennials are idealists when it comes to what they want from food - sustainable, fair trade, organic, etc. - but research showed that it all falls apart around chocolate.

"In a survey of participants ages 18 to 35, millennials reported caring about ethical issues like environmental sustainability and social responsibility in chocolate production. But when choosing chocolate privately, these self-proclaimed ethical shoppers were all chocolate bark and no bite. (Sorry.) Most showed little preference for labels advertising ethical sourcing and instead preferred labels with ingredients they recognized — items like "chocolate" and "butter," rather than "tertiary butylhydroquinone." " 

So, of course now I couldn't just grab the Hershey's milk chocolate bars and be done with it. I had to spend something like 15 minutes in two aisles of the grocery store - (the candy aisle AND the "healthy foods" section - why don't they group all the chocolate bars in one spot? Is this point itself a flaw in the study? Guess I should actually read the full study instead of the news report.) - with a six year old poking at me trying to figure out what's taking me so long to pick a stinking bar of chocolate, as I tried to find the "best" chocolate option to match my ideals. Do you know how hard it is to stick to your ideals on a budget? Also, you have to choose between things like "Rainforest Alliance Certified" OR "Fair Trade" because the available options aren't both. 

On top of all that, the "ethical" chocolate bars are all thick and not the thinner style that works so well on a S'more. Right, S'mores, that's why I was at the store and what you're here for....

So, I came away with these. 

The Dove one is Rainforest Alliance Certified and dark chocolate for me. The milk chocolate Ghirardelli, for my son, is thin and the squares are the perfect size for s'mores, so to heck with the ideals. (See, they were right!)

At home I forgot about ethical food, because I am making S'mores after all. Since we have no means to start a fire in our suburban backyard, I decided to toast up our marshmallows the way we toast up our tortillas - on the gas stove. As a very important safety note, I'll say that I prepped ahead by soaking our toasting sticks in water for a half hour or so, to keep them from catching fire.

Then, we went to it - break the graham crackers in half, place the chocolate, cook up the marshmallow....

Blow out the fire...

Keep toasting until it's just right and then...

YUM!

I was very impressed with 6. He was careful and respectful around the stove. And happy as a clam to make and eat his own S'mores, and a few extra marshmallows besides. I think we'll be doing this again soon!

So, how about you all - how do you make your S'mores? Or is it against your healthy-eating ethics? Share in the comments or on Facebook!

Tip From a Professional Chef

I first need to preface this by reiterating that I am by no stretch of the imagination a professional chef. I also did not receive this tip in person. I DID read about this tip in a book, tested it in my own kitchen and found that it worked beautifully for me and I continue to use it currently.

First - let me talk about labels. We all use them, whether we are dating a container of leftovers or prepping an ingredient for later in the week. Without labels - and admittedly sometimes even with them - our pantries, cupboards, and refrigerators would be unorganized messes and we would be left opening containers to try to figure our what the heck was in this and when did it get shoved in here. So what do we use? Sometimes we have single use bags that have a labeling section, or we can write right on the bag to label it. More often we end up using some kind of tape on the lid of a jar or container - probably masking tape. Then it gets wet and we peel it off and we end up with something that looks something like this:

Sticky masking tape residue

Sure the tape residue sometimes comes off after a few washings, but until it does you are stuck with it - if you pardon the pun. And even if you do wash it off, it takes some serious elbow grease to really get it done. And this is where I segue to the tip.

I recently have read a couple of books by a food writer Michael Ruhlman. Michael is on a bit of a personal quest to understand the mind of the top cooks - the Master Chefs if you will. So he is trained at the Culinary Institute of America, and begins to shadow chefs in their kitchens looking for the "it" factor that makes a successful chef and a successful restaurant. He finds that it is partially art, partially craft (or skill), partially emotion or passion for the food. Ultimately he ends up in the kitchen of Thomas Keller, the executive chef at the French Laundry in California - one of the top restaurants in the entire country. To spare you the details Thomas DOES label all of the containers he and his staff prepare for their dinners there. However he DOES NOT use masking tape. What he DOES use is this stuff right here:

Blue painter's tape - for labeling

OK so perhaps not that exact stuff - he is able to get lime green painter's tape for his labeling, but the blue stuff looks and works just fine for me. It is as easy to use as the masking tape, the labels are easy enough to read if you use a black Sharpie, and the best part- no sticky residue! The tape comes off easy peasy and there is nothing left behind. If you were like me and are still using masking tape, I suggest you switch as soon as possible. If it is good enough for Thomas Keller, it is certainly good enough for me. 

If you are interested in reading any of Michael Ruhlman's work - and if you love food I highly suggest it - Here is a short list of my favorites: 

• The Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute of America
• The Soul of a Chef - The Journey Toward Perfection

Simple Shortcut to Great Macaroni

I am all about the shortcuts - especially when I can find a good one. Tonight, I definitely found a good one for you guys.

Everyone loves some homemade macaroni and cheese. There is nothing like having that bowl of cheesy cheddary pasta. But it can be so difficult to get just right. The boxed stuff ends up being salty and they don't really taste like they have real cheese in them even when they say they do on the box. Making a cheese sauce is really the way to go, but if you're always multitasking like I am - cooking two or three things all while handling the intricate negotiations of situations like "he took my toy" and "don't lay on your little brother" - then making the sauce from scratch might not be the easiest thing to do. Enter the shortcut.

Believe it or not this can of "soup" makes a mean cheddar cheese sauce, and can be easily kicked up or customized to your liking. If you like it a little cheesier, you can simply shred in some more cheddar cheese. If you like more of a blend of cheese, it is also easy to add some swiss, gruyere, or Colby Jack with the same grater. I like to add some extra sharp cheddar, and then use spices to bring more flavors to the dish. I normally add about 1/2 tsp of paprika to my mac and cheese, along with about a 1/4 tsp of onion powder and garlic powder, and about 1/8 tsp of black pepper. This gives just enough of a flavor boost, and everyone in our home loves it.

If you are into it - or your kids are old enough to let you cook in peace - the method for making cheese sauce from scratch is not difficult. I do still do this often enough to mention, and it does leave room for greater customization. Start by melting one tbsp of butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat. When the butter is melted and starts to sizzle a little bit add one tbsp of all-purpose flour and use a whisk to mix everything together. This is known in cooking terminology as a roux and is used as a thickening agent in sauces. Add one cup of milk to your roux and stir to combine. This is where making the sauce from scratch gives you greater flexibility, as you are not limited by the canned cheese sauce and can use whatever cheese you want to make your sauce. Once the milk is warm add your desired cheeses and stir gently. After the cheese has fully melted into the sauce, mix it into your cooked pasta noodles and consume voraciously.

I know this is not the only "hack" that people use in the kitchen. What are some shortcuts you use in the kitchen? Share them with me in the comments below or on Facebook!